


BrutalTown Drabbles

by EllieofMidnight



Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M, Panic, i am terrible at this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-28
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-07-27 07:19:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 14,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7608934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EllieofMidnight/pseuds/EllieofMidnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A thread of drabbles (and fics that are too long to be drabbles but not multi-chapter) <3</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pretty Weird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> My first attempt at a drabble! Thought I'd write something fluffy to ease myself into it!

“Alright, as interesting as all this is, I’m gonna need you to put on some underwear before you say anything else.“ Luke blinked when he heard a voice cut off his verbal train of thought, automatically turning his head towards the source of the noise, where Ian stood, suitably unimpressed, his back leaning against the wall and a half full bottle of water in his hand.

“Ah, c’mon.” He flashed a quick grin and shrugged his shoulders, tugging at the bottom of his shirt, “This isn’t good enough? What’s a bit of skin between friends?” Luke raised an eyebrow, although it quickly settled back into its original position when Ian’s own stoic expression remained just that. Stoic and… disappointed? Maybe a little freaked out? He couldn’t tell the difference sometimes, Ian’s range of expression was hardly expansive and they all seemed to roll into one. Although.. was that a hint of pink seeping up into the pierced ears..?

Letting out a heavy sigh, Luke’s shoulders slumped and he rolled his eyes, “Fine, have it your way.” He smiled, grabbing his underwear as he listened to a, apparently content, hum, followed by the creak of a mattress as Ian dropped down onto his bed. “Although, I’m not convinced you weren’t just checking me out and were worried you’d get caught.”

That was when Luke span around again, jeans halfway around his thighs, as a harsh eruption of coughing sounded from the bed. Ian, apparently taken by surprise, had choked on the water, face and neck red and flustered. “Woah, dude, you doing okay?”  
“Don’t be a fucking idiot..” Ian muttered after a moment, once he’d recovered, setting the bottle down on the floor, “As if I’d be checking you out. You’re flattering yourself. Stop it.”  
Luke raised an eyebrow and offered a, slightly wary, grin, “Alright, if you say so.”

There was a few moments, minutes even, of strange silence when time seemed to stand still. Even the clock in the corner that constantly drove Ian insane in his moments of concentration seemed eerily quiet. That was until his voice spoke up again.

“But.. uh.. hypothetically speaking…” Ian cleared his throat, “What if.. someone was checking you out..? That’d be pretty weird, huh?”  
Luke smirked, resting his back against the edge of the desk, “Yeah, pretty weird. But I think I could deal with it.”


	2. A Little Rain Never Hurt Anyone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rain fics are my weakness! A little bit more fluff with absolutely no plot!

This wasn’t exactly what Luke had in mind when he and Ian had decided to go for a walk. Sure, they were just making their way around campus but even so, rain wasn’t particularly on his wishlist and he could think of at least 100 things they could be doing instead of wandering aimlessly as the sky grew increasingly grey.

But Ian was pretty insistent on the whole thing, something about it being therapeutic..? Good for the mind..? Something like that, he wasn’t really paying attention. All he knew was that it was cold and wet and there was a damp humidity hanging in the air that was pretty close to suffocating. But, well, Ian looked content as he silently walked alongside him, his face finally as relaxed as he was probably ever going to get while he was awake, so Luke was happy to humour him just a little bit longer. If only to keep him from spending the rest of the evening complaining.

But that didn’t stop it from being really damn cold out. He sighed, wrapping his arms around himself and attempting to suppress a shiver.  
He failed.  
The subtle movement had apparently captured Ian’s hawk-like attention and he inspected Luke carefully, before pausing in his step to swiftly remove his jacket and drape it across the boy’s shoulders. “Better?” He asked, raising an eyebrow and, if Luke was right, he was sure that was a hint of pink creeping up his cheeks.  
“Oh, uh.. Yeah, thanks.” He smiled, tugging the jacket closer. It smelled.. like Ian. He wasn’t really sure what else he was expecting, but he was glad that this was what he got. Sure, they were around each other almost constantly, but little things like this made him feel better. Safe.

“Yeah, well, don’t say I never do anything for you.” Ian shrugged, folding his arms across his chest and raising an eyebrow before turning his gaze to the clouds, “It’s a good job I don’t mind the rain.”

Luke smiled to himself, ever so often nudging Ian’s side with his arm as they walked, shrugging in mock confusion at each sharp glare thrown in his direction. While Ian was opening his mouth to snap after the 50th irritatingly gentle jab to the side, Luke’s attention moved up to glance at the sky, flinching as the drops of rain that had been simply grazing his skin only moments ago were now beginning to pummel down against his face, bouncing off the brim of his hat and colliding against the ground in a torrent.

Awesome.

Sighing heavily, Luke pulled down his a hat a little further in order to offer a bit more protection from the elements. He stared down at the ground, watching the rain bounce happily off of the grass. At least it looked like it was enjoying itself. As much as an inanimate object could, anyway.   
Luke was about to complain and convince Ian to turn back so they could get back to their room before he was interrupted by a quiet click and a sudden shove of a hand against his own.

“Here.” Ian motioned the small umbrella closer, waggling the handle slightly, “Take it. You don’t want to get sick just because I dragged you out here. Besides,” He let a small smirk slide across his features and shrugged his shoulders, “You might as well take full advantage of my generous nature.”  
Luke scoffed and shook his head, “Mhm.. Sure.” He rolled his eyes but his fingers curled around the handle anyway, “Thanks.”

Ian gave a small hum of acknowledgement and let his hand slide from the stick, slipping back into his pocket, “Yeah.” He murmured, his eyes scanning the empty sports fields, the buildings all covered by a shield of rain.  
Luke watched him for a moment, biting back a laugh as the gradually darkening hair flopped down to attach itself to Ian’s forehead, before tipping the umbrella, “Here. Now you’ll just get half wet.”

“How thoughtful of you..” Ian laughed a little but shuffled underneath the umbrella anyway, hesitating for a moment before letting his hand rest on top of Luke’s, gently squeezing the handle, “Let’s head back?” He murmured, eyebrows raising in surprise when he felt the warmth of skin and stubble against his cheek. “Sure.” Luke whispered, “Let’s head back.”


	3. Found You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian hates crowds. That's a well known fact amongst the group. But when he gets separated from the rest of Hidden Block, can he keep himself together?

Conventions were fun, Ian wasn’t about to deny that. It gave everyone from both clubs a chance to relax, get together and forget that they were deadly rivals for a couple of days. It also meant he got to try out the newest games and look out for anything that might end up showing up in a future tournament.

What he didn’t appreciate, however, was the crowds. Normally, he could deal, they weren’t a big issue apart from being a pain in the ass, it just meant he’d have to shove some kid out of the way to get to what he wanted. But today it felt different.The crowds felt bigger and the room.. smaller? Had they really thrown everyone into a smaller room?

Ian shook his head and swallowed around the lump in his throat, following the familiar yellow of the rest of Hidden Block, carefully dodging around people going the wrong fucking way. He glanced around, hoping that studying some of the stalls might calm his nerves. 

But there were far too many people behind him for him to just stop in the middle of the aisle, so Ian grunted a quiet apology to the woman that had just walked straight into the back of him and weaved back through to catch up.

Wait.. where was everyone..?

Ian strained his neck, glad that his height was finally coming in useful for something, and scanned the area. He saw.. heads. A lot of heads but the colours had all started to merge together. 

Dammit..

He murmured soft “excuse me”s as he pushed through the rabble. He felt sick, head spinning. It was fine. He’d find them. It’s not like he’d be lost here forever. Get a grip, Macleod.

Ian pressed his back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling and heaving a sigh. It wasn’t a big deal. But.. he just needed to get out of the way for a bit. He needed to think, keep his heart rate steady, try and get the vice to loosen from his chest.

And then he noticed. Glancing back down at his hands, he watched his fingers tremble and quickly shoved them in his pockets. Not now. 

But what if he was stuck here? There were too many people and too little air to breathe. He couldn’t fucking breathe. Before he could stop it, Ian slid down to the floor, knees pulled to his chest as every muscle in his body contracted, squeezing him tighter and tighter until he was pretty sure he’d throw up.

It was too loud.. Too loud and too busy… He had to get out.

Ian stumbled back to his feet, ignoring the huffs of annoyance and queries of concern as he made his way the way he came. Hopefully.

And then he ran into something. Something warm and soft and.. Oh.

“Ian! I finally found you!” Luke raised his eyebrows in surprise, but they quickly dropped back down into a worried frown, “Woah, what’s going on? You okay? You don’t look so great..”

Ian could’ve cried. In fact, he felt the heat that had crept into his throat out of panic subside into one of relief, eyes prickling, “Oh my god…” He sighed and let Luke’s hand slide into his own as he dragged him back through the crowds, knees weak.

“Hey.. Ian? Hey, look at me.” Ian blinked in surprise and glanced up to meet Luke’s gaze. He didn’t remember when exactly they got to a quiet corner of the convention hall but he was definitely grateful for it. 

He slumped, resting his head against Luke’s shoulder and let out a shaky exhale, “Never do that to me again..” He whispered, his whole body relaxing when he felt a warm arm pull him closer.

“I won’t. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first angst attempt! Even though I know how this feels, it was still difficult to write, so any advice/critique is always appreciated! <3


	4. No Place Like Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have a headcanon that Asagao!Ian has nightmares about Televoid!Ian so.. why not write it? Everyone loves a crossover, right?!

Silence. The room was silent except for the faint buzzing of static, the only light source the bright glow of the screen and the dim bulb dangling down from the ceiling.   
The room was also small. A box more than an actual part of a building, but it was still able to contain a small couch and.. a potted plant? As well as a video camera, the lens pointed directly at..

Ian glanced around the room, eyes adjusting to the fluorescence of the lighting and he forced himself to sit upright. He recognised this place, he was sure he did.. Had he been here before..?  
The screen flickered from black to white and back to black, the occasional band of grey thrown in for good measure, and, after watching it for a few minutes, he realised the whole thing was.. strangely hypnotic.

But then it clicked. How exactly did he get here in the first place? He’d been at Asagao just a moment earlier. So, in order to figure it out, he stood, running a hand through his hair as he took in his surroundings. Or lack there of.

“Great..” Ian huffed, taking a couple of strides to the wall and carefully pressing a palm to it. He paused, tentatively listening out for any sense of.. well,anything would’ve been nice. He knocked, surprised by how hollow the wall appeared to be.

“Hello?!” He called, this time banging his fist against the wall, “Hey! Is there anyone out there?!” 

No reply.

Ian groaned in defeat and, now that he’d exhausted all 2 ideas, returned back to his seat on the sofa, deciding that, since they’d put the TV in there, he might as well give it a shot. Getting down onto the floor, he carefully twisted the television’s knobs, pressed buttons, even hit it a couple of times.

Static.

Static.

A quick flash of colour.

Static.

He grit his teeth. Awesome. What was he meant to do now? He turned his head to look over at the camera. Nothing. Not even a hint that it was on. He sighed, suddenly growing a little agitated. He had to get out, he couldn’t spend his life in here forever.

What felt like an eternity passed and Ian had officially run out of ideas. He’d tried hitting, kicking, shouldering each of the walls several times to try and find a way out, turned the whole room upside down, searching for some kind of answer. A hidden exit? A trap door?  
He’d shouted and screamed until his throat was raw, cursing the people that kept him there, the people that took him from his life, ruined his life.  
But now? Well.. he didn’t know. Maybe he was destined to stay here until he died. Would he even be allowed to die?

Ian swallowed hard. He wasn’t going to cry. Not today.  
He buried his face into his knees and closed his eyes. He just wanted to go home.. He wanted to see his friends, his family… Luke.  
His chest ached as he thought about Luke. Man, what he wouldn’t give just to hear him laugh again. Just for a quick smile or a friendly jab. Just to see his.. stupid face.

He couldn’t stop it, tears pooled in his eyes and his breath caught as he curled up against the corner of the room. It wasn’t fair… He didn’t want to die. He’d never done anything wrong, really. Sure, he might’ve been a bit of a dick at times, but he never meant anyone any harm.

“Oh, God, please…” Ian whispered, voice hoarse and broken, “Please, just let me go home..”

But then he heard it. A quiet click and a subtle whirring of mechanisms. What..?  
Ian looked up and rubbed the heel of his hand against his cheek, watching.. a light? The camera had lit up, red slowly blinking in the corner. What was happening? Was he being filmed?  
His attention shot to the TV, although it didn’t seem to have changed. Maybe soon..

It wasn’t long before he noticed something. The view finder was pointing towards him too, large numbers displayed in the centre.

3.

Wait, what?

2.

What was going on?!

1.

***

“Ian! Ian, hey!”

Ian sat up straight, heart racing in his chest and his eyes flitted anxiously around the room. He was.. home? Back at Asagao? But…

“Woah. You doing okay?”

Luke. That was Luke. Actually there, in the flesh. With his.. stupid face.  
Ian didn’t really need to think about it, he automatically wrapped his arms around the boy’s neck, almost pushing them both off the edge of the bed, “Thank god you’re here..”

Luke laughed, although it sounded a little nervous, and he curled his own arms around Ian’s back, gently rubbing circles against his spine, “Yeah, I’m here. What’s going on?”

“Nothing..” Ian shook his head and pulled away, pushing damp hair from his forehead, “Just.. I never want to see a camera or a potted plant again.”


	5. Ten Things I Hate About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to fluff! I needed to relax a little bit and list fics are always nice and easy to read!

Ian knew from the first time he met Luke that things probably wouldn’t be the same as how they used to be. In fact, the entire group made keeping a regular schedule difficult. They were so.. all over the place. It was as if they didn’t have a single composed cell in their being, their blood some kind of mixture of soda and skittles, like a little kid at a birthday party. But constantly. It was tiring.

But then Ian ended up sharing a dorm room with Luke. Sure, maybe he was pretty happy about it, maybe he even suggested it with a subtle “who else would put up with you for so long?”, but now, after experiencing actually living with the guy, he had a lot of ammunition.

Ian was pretty well known amongst the group for keeping lists, be it metaphorical or physical, and no one escaped having their name written down on at least one. Luke, however, was a special case. He got his own.

1) He’s a general pain in the ass.  
It was constant. A barrage of annoyance. If Luke wanted attention, everyone knew it. He was a master of persistence. Now, even if people didn’t believe it, Ian was patient, he could put up with a lot of shit before he let it get to him. But once you’ve been prodded in the side upwards of 50 times in one day, or had paper balls thrown at the back of your head, it starts to grate.

2) He sings. All the time.  
Sure, that was his thing. Luke rapped and, as much as he hated to admit it, he was good. It would’ve been better if he was in it, but, y’know, it was passable. Ian wouldn’t have minded if it was just in the shower or occasionally while he was working, but Luke had a tendency to sing everywhere, usually preferring to sing right into his ear while he was sleeping.

3) That stupid hat.  
He didn’t even have to explain that one. He looked like an ass.

4) He’s too good at SSS. (Cheats?)  
Maybe it was that Luke had put way too much time into Stupendous Stomping Sisters, maybe it was that he cheated, or maybe it was just because Ian sucked at it, but he managed to win every time. It was borderline ridiculous. And downright bullshit.

5) He’s.. too nice.  
Luke always found a way to try help, even if no one actually wanted it. He’d given advice to Ian countless times about problems he didn’t know he had. It was actually pretty endearing. If you liked that kind of thing.

6) His stupid face.  
There was no way for Ian to be mad at someone that constantly looked like a kicked puppy every time he got annoyed at them. It was pretty frustrating at the best of times.

7) His smile/laugh.  
No one should be allowed to be that cheerful all the time. And no one should have the kind of smile that lights up an entire room and makes peoples’ hearts rise to their throat, that was just how it was. It was inhuman. And creepy.

8) Those looks.  
Luke needed to stop looking at him the way he did. It made it especially hard to concentrate on anything. If he wanted to tell him something, he should just speak, he didn’t have to try and communicate telepathically.

9) The little touches.  
Whether it was a hand on his arm, the brushing of their fingers as they walked down the corridor, arms wrapping around his waist as his rested his chin on his shoulder, Luke was a constant toucher. He craved physical attention and it sucked… For the most part…

10) The

Ian’s pen dragged along the paper as he thought, glancing over his shoulder to where Luke lay on his bed, hat pulled down over his face as he slept, and he smiled.

10) The I love him


	6. Better Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't help but keep adding to Ian's angst and I feel so bad but it's so fun to write!! All those emotions! (A bit long for a drabble but I hope you enjoy it anyway!! <3)

Ian hated thinking back on a time before Hidden Block. “The past is the past” He’d tell people whenever they asked, usually Hana, she was far too inquisitive for her own good sometimes, “There’s no point dwelling on something that you can’t go back and change.” She would nod and drop the conversation, moving onto something else to change the subject.

But that wasn’t to say he didn’t think about it. Ian thought about it most when he was by himself, slumped against the trunk of his favourite tree that provided enough shade to protect him from both the too hot summers and the heavy rains of autumn and spring. It was peaceful, a quiet place away from the chaos of the club room or the dinner hall.

He’d spent a lot of time there in his first year, before the idea of joining a group had even begun to form, but it wasn’t like he wasn’t used to being alone, it had always been that way. He was quiet and kept himself to himself, a loner in every sense of the word. He didn’t push people away, more like.. people pushed themselves away. The walls Ian built around himself were too hard to break down so they gave up trying. What was the point?

So, he found himself further and further outside of any kind of attachment, isolated and alone. It’s fine, he’d tell himself as he closed his eyes, stretching out across the grass, They don’t need you and you don’t need them.

But as time went on, Ian found himself less and less happy with being by himself. Moving to Asagao hadn’t helped, students from his old school had already started talking, making sure everyone knew that was “that weird kid”, “the outcast”. So that’s what he stayed. 

It had hurt, definitely, there wasn’t a day that went by where he felt comfortable with who he was or how his life had turned out. In fact, he was pretty sure he hated it. But Ian had given up crying, it never solved anything. Even as it ate him up inside and he fell into what felt like a never ending black hole, he didn’t cry, sometimes he didn’t even feel sad about it. He didn’t feel much anymore, except for the weight that pressed down on his shoulders and his chest, threatening to suffocate him if he made one wrong move. 

Ian wasn’t sure whether anyone actually noticed when he’d disappear from class or skip out on lunch to go and sit by himself underneath the tree, practicing for the tournament that was coming up in only a matter of weeks. At least he had that going for him, he’d practiced enough over the years to ensure a top spot in the puzzle category every time, no one even came close. 

But… Someone had noticed. He remembered the day as if he could simply step back a couple of years and relive it. A simple touch to his shoulder had made him jump out of his damn skin and he turned his head to shoot a quick glare at whoever it was that had just ruined his chance at a perfect score.

“Oh.. Man, I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” The boy laughed, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips as he stared down at him, blue eyes quickly flickering over to the screen, “Oh… Sorry, did I mess up? I just thought you must be lonely out here by yourself, so I..” He trailed off, shrugged and quickly settled himself against the tree.

Ian watched in utter bewilderment, a frown creasing his forehead, “It’s fine.” He muttered, turning back to the screen and rolling his eyes, “Make yourself at home..”

“Cool.” The stranger nodded and grinned happily, apparently pleased with himself, before tipping his head back against the bark. His eyes slid across to study Ian for a second before gently nudging him with his shoulder, “I’m Luke, by the way.”

“Ian.” He replied and, deciding that he was never going to get anything done like this, sighed, placing his phone down on his lap. This guy looked like a douche with that stupid hat balanced on top of his head, it wasn’t even sunny out.

“So… What’re you doing here?” Ian asked after a few minutes of, surprisingly comfortable, silence. He really didn’t understand what all this was about. He’d never really had someone approach him before, let alone actually sit down and try and make conversation. It was strange but.. not unwelcome. 

“You’re in my class.” Luke shrugged, his eyes moving back to the sky and letting out a quiet sigh, “And then, one day, you weren’t. I thought something might have been wrong so I decided that today would be the day I’d come find you.” 

Ian scoffed quietly and shook his head, settling back against the tree and folding his arms across his chest, “Right..” He sighed, his gaze settling on his knees, “Well, thanks, but you didn’t have to. I’m alright by myself.”

“Sure.” Luke smiled, sliding down the tree to lie on the grass, placing an arm behind his head, “But I thought I’d come join you anyway. Didn’t really feel like sitting through another lecture.” His smile faded into a small frown as he thought, eyes studying the clouds, “You know.. there’s a group a couple of my friends are thinking of starting if you want in?”

“What kind of group..?” Ian closed his eyes, although his eyebrows knitted together in thought. Was this.. an invitation? That didn’t happen often… Or ever really.

“We’re gonna try and take on that gaming tournament in Higanbana? We’ve entered separately before but we thought as a group we might have a better chance.”

Ian frowned deeper and shook his head, “No, thanks. I’d rather not risk other people bringing down my perfect record.”

“Oh.”

He could feel the tension hang in the air and he gave an exasperated sigh, “I’ll think about it. I’m not making any promises though.” Ian cracked open an eye just in time to watch the smile stretch across Luke’s face and him sit up so fast he thought he’d been electrocuted.

“Great! I’ll go tell Wallid and Jimmy!” Luke beamed, a happy twinkle in his eye. The way his whole face seemed to light up like a kid on Christmas was… kind of cute. For a douche. He reached over to gently squeeze Ian’s arm before standing back up, “I gotta go, but I’ll see you later, Ian!” He winked and Ian could feel all the blood in his body rush to his face, heating up his ears. He cleared his throat and shrugged, dropping his gaze back to his phone to hide the shade of pink that had come on all too quickly.

By the time Ian looked back up, Luke was gone and he realised that he finally felt.. happy? Light. As if all of his worries had lifted.

***

Ian still preferred his alone time, that much hadn’t changed. He didn’t mind the crowding and the shouting of the club, but it was much nicer to just escape to sit on his own for a while. 

But sometimes he went to sit by himself just to keep up appearances. It would’ve been weird if he’d started hanging around everyone all the time, so he took himself off to his favourite spot to just think. But he still felt lonely, sucked into a void that he couldn’t get out of, and that would never change. Sure, he had friends but.. it was still there, a niggling thought at the back of his head. 

He was weird. An outcast. Why would anyone–

“Hey.” 

Oh… Ian glanced up and smiled, letting his phone drop to the ground. How did he always know when something was wrong..? “Hey.” He nodded, watching Luke lower himself to the ground with a small grunt.

“Everything okay?”

“Sure.” Ian shrugged, letting his eyes fall closed as Luke wrapped an arm around his shoulders, the brim of his hat gently tapping the top of his head as he settled against him, “I’m better now you’re here.”

Luke laughed and shook his head, “I’m glad to hear it.” He sighed, pressing his lips to the light brown hair, “You wanna come and join the rest of us? We’re trying to convince Caddy to wrestle that bear in the woods.”

“Bear..? You know that’s just a rumour, right..?” Ian raised an eyebrow but smiled anyway, wriggling out from underneath Luke’s arm, “Alright, c’mon, let’s go. I’m not missing out if he actually does it.”


	7. Ten Things I Love About You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of Ten Things I Hate About You, this time from Luke's perspective!

Even if Ian was sneaky about hiding his lists, proclaiming that all of his secret plans would be obsolete if they were ever discovered, Luke wasn’t stupid. Their room was hardly big and it didn’t take much searching before he “stumbled” across them.

Smiling to himself, he dropped down into his desk chair and flicked through the pieces of paper, rolling his eyes at the rough scribblings; “Reasons Caddy is a complete dick”, “The people that have wronged me” and...

Luke paused, raising an eyebrow as he inspected the last piece of note paper, screwed up and shoved into the back of the drawer. Well.. For Ian, this was sweet, and he felt a light blush creep up to his cheeks, a soft laugh slipping from his throat.

So, he pulled out a notebook and a pen, twisting it between his fingers for a few moments, before settling on a list of his own.

 **1\. He’s creative.**  
Ian might not have seemed like the type, but he came up with some of the best ideas of the group. Maybe it was because he’d spent so much time practicing for tournaments by himself that he’d found the best strategies. Or maybe it was just because he actually focused on the task at hand. It wasn’t important, all that mattered was that he was a genius in his own right!

 **2\. He’s composed.**  
Ian never seemed to lose his cool. Sure, he might have got annoyed with some of the pranks they played on him. And by they, Luke meant him. But he seemed to take it in his stride, as if nothing really fazed him. It was awe inspiring really.

 **3\. His competitive spirit.**  
Sure, he didn't get flustered, but that didn't mean Ian wasn't driven, especially when it meant that he'd win at something. He'd demand rematch after rematch just to get the chance to creep further up the ladder to victory. Although.. that didn't mean that he didn't suck. He definitely did. He was the worst and it was great.

 **4\. He's always there.**  
If you needed someone around to help, Ian would be there. A listening ear and a quiet nodder as you spilt your heart out. He'd take everything in, absorb it like an emotional sponge, before thinking it over and offering some nugget of wisdom. Luke wished that he had the same kind of ability.

 **5\. His smile/laugh/all of the above.**  
Ian didn't laugh a lot, hell, he barely even smiled. But, when he did, it lit up his face like a Christmas tree. It was a beautiful sight, really. Almost like seeing a rare, tropical bird in the middle of a city. It made his eyes sparkle and tiny creases form in the bridge of his nose and around his eyes and Luke could sit there and look at it forever. He'd give anything to have the powers to produce something like that on command.

 **6\. The massages.**  
Luke knew that Ian didn't like to admit it, even though he could practically _see_ the pride radiating off of him every time it was brought up in conversation, but he gave amazing massages. It had first started when Jeff had come back from soccer practice, sore and tired and Ian had offered to try and sort out his back. It had spun a little out of control since then. Luke had attempted to get "private" massages from him every now and then, but Ian had simply shot him a glare and he immediately shut up.

 **7\. The small gestures.**  
Emotions weren't Ian's strong suit but that didn't stop Luke from seeing the softer side every now and then. Sure, he'd walk around like he'd constantly been slapped, but there were times where the boy was gentle and he'd show that he really did care deep down. It was never much; a flower or two from the field, the last slice of cake, _a smile_ , Luke didn't care. It all added up.

 **8\. His hugs.**  
Ian was also well known for giving some of the best hugs in the group, maybe ever, but there was a difference between the group hugs they all shared and the ones just between the two of them. He wasn't one for PDA, a touch here or there would suffice when they were in the public eye, but in the safety of their room, he'd open up a little more. Not much, mind you, but Luke would often find Ian draped over his shoulders, head resting against his own as he watched him edit a song, or just do homework. Luke had questioned it once but apparently it hadn't counted as "official PDA", whatever that meant.

 **9\. The kisses.**  
Again, affection wasn't high on Ian's priority list, but when Luke did get something out of him, it was nice. Great, even. Ian was gentle, a complete opposite from the way he presented himself to the rest of the world. His kisses were soft, light and Luke savoured them as his lips ghosted across his own. The moments were fleeting and sweet, a reminder that Ian really did care, even if he'd never openly admit it. He would treasure them forever.

Luke smiled as he stared down at his list, reading and rereading just to make sure it was all right, that he hadn't missed out anything. 

When he was satisfied, he stood and pinned the note to the pin board above Ian's desk with a satisfied nod of his head, before grabbing his bag and heading out of the door to join the rest of Hidden Block at their meeting.

**10\. I love you too.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone that's read these so far! It's really inspiring me to keep going, I have a lot of brutaltown love to give! <3


	8. Not Helpful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Person A has a major headache and Person B is carrying A upstairs, occasionally pretending to drop them, only to immediately grab them again. B then says something stupidly romantic like “I’d never let you go” and then accidentally smacks A against the stair rails. (Person B is Luke, obviously)

It was a pretty well known fact that Asagao’s soccer matches could get a little heated, especially when they were playing against the rival team of Hatoful, but the practices beforehand could get just as intense. PBG and Jeff took their training particularly seriously and Ian wasn’t sure how they always seemed to have that much energy, but it was an interesting thing to watch. 

He and Luke had walked down there that afternoon after classes had finished to offer their support. Sure, they might not have watched the whole thing, sometimes conversation was a little more interesting than a few guys running around a pitch, but their attention usually fell back onto the game after a few moments.

It wasn’t long before Ian was wishing that he’d been paying attention a little better, however, when, out of nowhere, something smacked hard into the side of his head. He gave a small grunt of pain and recoiled, a hand grabbing hold of his arm to keep him from tumbling back between the seats.

Honestly, he didn’t really feel the collision. One minute he was sat upright, the next he was slumped against the bench behind him, the world spinning and a couple of figures looming over him, muffled voices expressing.. concern, maybe?

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” Ian cracked open an eye to look over in the direction of the voice, the blur slowly merging back into the familiar shape of PBG, and he shook his head, raising a hand.

“It’s fine..” He shrugged, nodding a quick, silent ‘thanks’ to Luke, who slowly removed his hand, although it continued to hover, just in case, “I think I’ll survive..”

“Oh, man… Are you sure?” PBG’s eyebrows pinched into a tight frown, eyes quickly scanning Ian’s face, apparently unconvinced. He looked down at the ball and warily leant down to pick it up, hugging it to his chest, as if he were scared it was about to leap out of his arms and attack someone again, “I guess I underestimated that one…”

Ian rolled his eyes and stood up, wobbling slightly on his feet and shooting a glare across at Luke as an arm wrapped protectively around his waist, “I’m _fine_.” He repeated, offering PBG a small smile and a shrug, carefully reaching a hand up to finger the quickly forming lump on his forehead, “I think I’m gonna head back though. Just in case either of you decide you want to cause any more damage.”

“Yeah, okay… If you’re sure...” Jeff nodded, gently nudging PBG’s shoulder and glancing back over at the field, “C’mon, we need to get back. We’ll see you later.”

Ian opened his mouth to reply, but before he could even think about saying anything else, his feet had left the ground, strong arms holding him against a firm chest, “Wh-- Put me down!”

“Shh..” Luke grinned as he made his way across the field, ignoring the mutters of protest of the squirming boy in his arms, “Geez, quit moving so much! You’ll thank me for this one day.”

“I seriously doubt that.” Ian huffed, although he fell still anyway, the rhythmic movement and the gentle sound of Luke’s breathing lulling him into a comfortable peace. It almost made the pounding in his head worth it. Almost.

It wasn’t until they reached the dorms that Ian began to move again, an embarrassed flush on his cheeks when he noticed a couple of boys hanging around in the corridors, “This is ridiculous..” He muttered, “You can put me down, I think I can walk up a few stairs.”

“Huh? Did you say something?” Luke asked, raising an eyebrow and starting the climb up to their floor. He hesitated for a moment before letting his arms fall slack, laughter bubbling up in his chest as Ian scrambled to keep a hold on his arms, his jacket, _something_ to stop him falling to his death.

“You piece of shit!” Ian snapped, scowling up at Luke and grunting softly at the smug smirk that spread across his lips.

“Relax!” Luke laughed, shaking his head and tightening his hold, “I’d never let you go.” He purred, seemingly pleased with himself as he continued his stride up the stairs, confidently taking two at a time before--

“FUCK!”

The dull thud of something hitting against the wooden banister sent shivers down his spine and Luke’s eyes widened, immediately pulling his arms up, “Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realise we were so close to the railing!” He stammered, panic flooding through him as Ian twisted in his arms, head in his hands.

“Just.. put me down..” He sighed, “I think I’ll take my chances.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure about this one, it feels a little weak, but I really wanted to write something kinda silly so...


	9. Kiss and Make Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short drabble - Ian and Luke got into a fight, but Ian's pretty sure he knows how to bring him back around

“Oh, Luke, c’mon…” Ian wasn’t sure what he’d done or said, exactly, it all got lost in the heat of the argument, but he was pretty sure it must’ve been pretty bad because now Luke was sat at his desk, headphones on and trying his best to ignore the rest of the world outside of his computer.

“Look, I said I was sorry. What else do you want me to say?”

Silence.

Ian sighed, exasperated, and tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling, tapping his foot on the floor as he thought.

This wasn’t like Luke. Normally, he’d just laugh something off, pretend it didn’t bother him until it didn’t anymore. But now… He just seemed sad. Closed off and quiet and… well, not Luke. There wasn’t a hint of a smile on his face, blue eyes fixed blankly on the screen. Honestly, it made Ian’s chest ache and his heart sink down to his feet.

“Luke, ple--”

“It’s fine.” Luke shrugged, finger tapping the mouse button with a little more vigour than it was probably used to, before it settled over the top, hovering just a fraction of an inch above the smooth plastic.

Ian hesitated, a deep frown etching itself onto his forehead. He could normally read people pretty well, figure out what they were thinking, feeling, and most of the time Luke was one of the easiest. He never hid his emotions very well, but tonight? He had no idea. 

He nodded slowly but took a couple of steps forward anyway, tentative movements as if he were tracking some kind of skittish, small animal. He hesitated, wondering whether this was really the best thing to do given the current situation, but shook his head and loosely draped his arms around Luke’s neck.

“Quit it, Ian...”

Luke might have been relatively stubborn sometimes, but he wasn’t difficult to bring around to a different point of view with the right prompts. He was pretty sure he could manipulate this at least a little. It would just take some gentle persuading.

“I’m sorry..” Ian whispered, pressing his nose to the top of Luke’s head and letting his eyes fall closed, smiling to himself when he felt the boy’s shoulders almost automatically relax, his body slumping slightly against the back of the chair, no long tense and rigid.

He smirked against the surprisingly soft material and dropped his lips down to the skin beneath Luke’s ear, pressing gentle kisses to the light scratch of stubble that dragged across his jaw, “Don’t be mad at me..” He whispered, hands wandering aimlessly across the chest in front of him, fingers playing with the material of his shirt.

Luke nodded slowly, reaching up to pull his headphones around his neck and turning his head slightly; enough for Ian to see a hint of a smile pulling at the corners of his lips, “Yeah?” He murmured, raising an eyebrow and meeting Ian’s gaze for a moment, eyes locked in a helpless staring contest. “I guess I forgive you.” He shrugged, craning his neck to ghost his lips across the other’s, “For now..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one's so short! I've been super busy all day but I wanted to get something new written! <3


	10. Hold On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Imagine Person A and Person B go out on a roller skating date. Person A is really bad, but tries to hide it. They end up falling on Person B. Person B laughs at them, but helps Person A by not letting go of their hand.

This was not what Ian had in mind when Luke had said he wanted them to go on a “proper” date, goddamn it. 

He wobbled a little on his feet as he stood, the wheels spinning beneath his feet uncontrollably fast. _Dammit, Luke, why couldn’t you have just picked something straightforward? Normal? Rather than this… bullshit._

“Okay?” Ian grimaced and glanced up, unable to stop his eyes from narrowing while Luke grinned down at him, eyes sparkling with an unprecedented amount of excitement. He grunted in response and straightened up, a jolt of nerves shooting through him as he foot rolled backwards in attempt to drag him back towards the benches. He wished he could follow.

“Uh, yep.” Ian nodded, clearing his throat and carefully shifted so that he wasn’t bent quite so awkwardly. How the hell did Luke manage to look like he had all of this under control..? This was unnatural, not to mention dangerous.

He sighed as Luke took his hand and dragged him onto the rink, fear seizing his chest as skaters flew past them. Rude. 

“Okay!” Luke flashed Ian a quick grin and nodded, his hand dropping back down to his side, “Let’s go!” 

Wait… what? Was… Ian’s eyes widened a little, eyebrows raising in surprise. Was Luke just going to leave him there? In the middle of the rink? He opened his mouth to protest, but he was already gone. What the hell sort of date was this?!

Ian stumbled along, making sure to keep to the wall within reaching distance. He grumbled quietly when someone pushed past him, shooting a heated glare in their direction, “Hey! Watch where you’re going!” He snapped, yelping quietly when the toe of his boot caught underneath the one in front and he gripped the wall.

“You, uh.. You doing okay back here?” 

_Dammit._

“Oh.. Uh.. Yeah.” Ian nodded quickly, glancing back over his shoulder when he noticed Luke approaching, a smug smile on his face, “Yeah, absolutely.. Fine…” He shrugged, letting go of the wall and turning around to skate towards him.

And then they were on the floor.

Ian didn’t exactly know what went wrong; maybe it was the fact that he had absolutely no control over his own feet? Whatever it was, it meant that he was face down on a giggling mess of a man as heat rushed to his own face.

Luke must’ve realised he was getting flustered because his laughter slowly died down to a light chuckle and he carefully got back to his feet, “Alright, alright, sorry.” He huffed out a soft laugh and offered his hand, that Ian gladly took before brushing himself down.

“C’mon.” Ian raised an eyebrow and looked down at the hand in his own, then back up at Luke, “Just hold on, okay? I’ll make sure you don’t break anything.”

Ian huffed and shook his head, but squeezed the hand with a brief nod, “Fine.. But if I do, you owe me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I am Ian, skating is hard!!


	11. Tumblr Prompt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This is, by far, the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.” - Requested by an Anon

“This is, by far, the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.” Ian rolled his eyes as he followed Luke out of the building into the dark, “And the fact that you’re dragging me out here with you makes it even more ridiculous. You know we could get in some serious trouble for this?”

Luke turned his head, the excitement practically radiating off of him as he bounced on the balls of his feet, “What? Ah, c’mon, this isn’t stupid!” He laughed, taking hold of Ian’s wrist and gently leading him down the path, deciding that, once they were already halfway towards the field outside of the academy, he should probably keep his voice down. “There’s meant to be a meteor shower tonight, right? So why would you want to sit inside and maybe catch a glimpse when we can sit out here?”

Ian frowned and shook his head, but let himself be lead anyway. The night air was cool and still, a silence settling on the normally noisy campus. It was peaceful and he couldn’t stop the smile from sneaking its way onto his face.

“Fair point.” Ian shrugged, although he glanced over his shoulder every now and then, just to make sure they weren’t about to get caught.

The warmth of Luke’s skin never failed to catch Ian off guard, even now as his fingers curled tighter around his wrist and the adrenaline surged through his body. It was the heat that made him feel right at home.

Luke dropped down to the ground in the middle of the field, tugging Ian down beside him, before lying back, hands tucking underneath his head. “See?” He turned his head, smiling across at Ian with a content nod, “Aren’t you glad you came out here?”

Ian nodded and scooted a little closer, slowly resting his head against Luke’s shoulder, “I guess so.” He murmured, sighing softly as lips pressed gently against the top of his head, “But if we get caught, you’re taking the blame.” He muttered, but he was happy. Happier than he ever thought possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been writing a lot of requests lately and I got a brutaltown one today so here it is!!


	12. First Fight - Placeholder Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Luke fight, what about is totally up to you!

“You’re not listening to me!” Ian snapped, turning on his heel to glare across the room at Luke. He’d never seen him so, for lack of a better word, animated before. His eyes flashing with a fire that he never even knew was there.

“Well, maybe if you just told me what was going on for once, I’d be able to--” 

“Just quit it, Luke. I don’t need this bullshit today.” 

It stung. It stung more than he ever thought it would, as if Ian had taking a knife and sliced him. They didn’t fight often, hell, they barely ever said anything bad about each other unless it was in jest but.. Today seemed to be different. 

He’d tried to help Ian, he really had. He’d tried to offer him support and advice, but he just.. Wouldn’t open up. It was as if he was keeping everything he ever felt inside, bottled away so that no one could ever get close. A defence barrier that worked a little too well.

But it seemed impossible. It didn’t matter how hard Luke tried, Ian didn’t want to know. 

“Hey..” Luke murmured, shifting uncomfortably where he stood, watching as Ian sorted through his things, looking for… Well, it didn’t really look like he was looking for anything, more so using it as some kind of excuse to avoid conversation. 

But Ian stayed silent, hunched over the drawers underneath his desk, his head turned just enough that Luke couldn’t see that… Was he… Crying? Luke couldn’t really tell but he could hear the occasional sniffle, a hand coming up every now and then to scrub furiously at his face.

“Ian…” Luke took a couple of steps forward, resting a tentative hand on Ian’s arm and preparing himself for the inevitable backlash. But it didn’t come. Ian simply stiffened and turned his head, glassy eyes staring him down for a few, intense moments, before he shrugged the hand away.

“I’m going out.” Ian replied, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair and tugging it over his arms. He turned once he got to the door, pointing a trembling finger across the room, “Don’t fucking follow me.”

So Luke stood, deflated, in the middle of the room, watching the door slam behind him. There wasn’t anything he could do. He’d just let Ian cool down, maybe he’d come back to his senses, just see that he was trying to help. But…

Luke bit his lip and sank down into his chair, studying the stupid notes he’d stuck to Ian’s pinboard and the ones that he’d pinned up on his in reply. The ones that now lay lying on the floor in a crumpled mess, a small heart poking out the corner of a post-it note that now sat, discarded, on the carpet.

They’d sort things out. They had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Anniewhovian, for prompting me to write some angst! You're the best and worst, Dave.


	13. Prompt 2 - "It's Okay To Cry"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A prompt suggested to me by Brutalnoose on Tumblr!

Luke knew Ian enough to tell when something was wrong. He’d take himself off somewhere, either their room or to the large tree that sat in the middle of the field, and brush people away. Sure, if someone initiated a conversation, he’d join in, try and make things seem normal but… There was a sadness in his eyes that he couldn’t hide.

“Hey.” Luke smiled to himself when he noticed the familiar figure slumped against the tree, the gentle breeze rustling the leaves, blades of grass dancing beneath their feet. Ian glanced up and offered a small smile before dropping his gaze back down to the floor.

“Hey..” He murmured, plucking some of the grass from the floor, carefully tying the pieces together into a tiny rope. Luke frowned and lowered himself down to the floor, just looking out across the field as they settled into a comfortable silence.

Luke turned his attention back to Ian, letting his arm rest up against his side, their shoulders lightly pressing together, “Look.. You don’t need to tell me what’s wrong.” He started, slowly reaching out so his fingers hovered above Ian’s, his cool skin of his hand smooth and soft against his own. “But.. It’s okay to cry.. It doesn’t make you any less of a person. Or any weaker, for that matter.”

Ian’s head turned and he looked at Luke for a moment, eyes scanning his face, apparently trying to find some kind of hint that he was joking, that he was judging him. But when he came up blank, he simply turned his gaze back to the blades of grass in his hands, “Yeah.. thanks..” He shrugged, hesitating for a moment before gently linking his fingers with Luke’s.

He smiled, a sudden warmth washing through him. He felt like he’d done something right, at least made Ian feel like he wasn’t quite as alone as he’d thought. And that was a big enough accomplishment for today. He trusted him and that was all Luke wanted.

He sighed and rested his head against Ian’s, letting his eyes slide closed. He wasn’t going to let him suffer alone. If he didn’t want to talk, then he’d just be there to keep him company. That was fine too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! If you have any prompts, feel free to send them my way at ellieofmidnight.tumblr.com/ask! <3


	14. Music to My Ears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr prompt - "Some brutaltown, with Luke proposing to Ian with a song."

Ian wasn’t exactly all about the fancy restaurants and the romantic dinners. He’d much rather spend his evenings with Luke in front of the TV, he’d even go so far as to say he’d curl up beside him on the couch. That sounded pretty good right now.

The place he found himself in, however, was completely different. Full of people with too much money and not enough common sense, gentle piano music playing in the background. At there was that to take his mind off it all. He glanced up when he noticed Luke fidgeting in his seat, fork pushing around the food on his plate, “Hey.”

Luke’s eyes lifted from his meal and he smiled, a slightly nervous, lopsided smile that made Ian feel just a little bit uneasy. “Hey.” He replied, setting his fork down on the plate and clearing his throat, “Just gonna.. I gotta… uh…”

And with that, Luke was gone before Ian could even realise what had happened. Had he.. Been left there? Ian sighed and rested his chin his hand, drumming on the table with the other. What the fuck, Luke.

Ian slowly let his gaze rise when he heard the music stop and a nervous _tap tap tap_ come across the microphone. His eyes widened, heat rising up his neck to his ears. Oh god. Oh god, please no.

“Uh… Hello.”

Luke, please.

“I.. I have a song that I want to perform.”

Luke.

“For my boyfriend.”

Ian couldn’t help but just stare, even as Luke sang, poured his heart out into his song, he felt.. Embarrassed. The centre of everyone’s attention. He swallowed hard, sinking down in his seat. He didn’t hear much of what Luke had to say, it was all just a buzz, noise that bounced around the inside of his head, not making any sense.

“–marry me?”

He froze. Eyes flicking over to where Luke was staring at him, shaking fingers clutching the microphone as if it was life support.

“What..?”

Ian immediately regretted what he said, his mouth snapping closed when he noticed Luke tense, shoulders tight and pulled close to himself. He’d never seen him like this before… He was normally so confident, so sure of himself but now…

“Yes.” Ian blinked, a little unsure as to where his answer had come from, but there it was. Out in the open. He nodded and let a twitchy smile pull at his lips, “Uh… Yes… I… I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to prompt something at ellieofmidnight.tumblr.com/ask, but please bare in mind I have a lot to go through at the minute! <3


	15. Fine With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Person a and person b pretend to be dating. they do this fake relationship stunt in front of their friends for a few weeks. The day comes where they end the "relationship" privately because their friends finally believed they were dating. Person a pretends to be fine with ending it but once person b leaves the room person a starts crying" A prompt given to me by Brutalnoose on tumblr <3

Ian had originally thought it was stupid. He didn’t know how the hell Luke had managed to drag him into this whole situation and yet, here he was, their fingers linked and Luke’s head resting comfortably in the crook of his neck. It was some dumb prank; get the guys to believe that they were in a relationship for a while and then break it off. Ha ha ha; hilarity ensues. It was ridiculous and never going to work, in fact, Ian wasn’t even sure what the point of it even was.

And yet… Spending so much time with Luke, practically joined together at the hip 24/7, was.. Nice. It felt like that was how things were meant to be. Natural. As much as he hated to admit it, it almost pained him to think of when the time would come that Luke would say that enough was enough and that they should split ways. Of course he didn’t feel the same way, it was just a stupid joke, but… That didn’t mean that Ian didn’t feel just a little bit of hope that maybe things would change. Maybe things would simply fall into place and they could just carry on being, well, _them_.

Ian hadn’t expected the events of that evening at all. 

They made their way back to Bluebell House, Luke swinging their arms all the way and singing some song he was positive he was going to record and make a best seller. Ian wasn’t convinced but he nodded anyway, hesitating for a moment before gently squeezing his hand. 

He turned his head when he noticed Luke glance over, cheeks on fire, and diverted his attention to a particularly interesting tree in the distance, his free hand burying deep into his pocket. But then he felt it. A gentle warmth settling on his temples, the light scratching of stubble against his skin, his heart racing so fast he thought he might pass out.

“We have to be convincing, right?” Luke whispered as he grinned, eyes sparkling in the slowly dying sunlight and Ian felt a surge of electricity rush through him, the hairs along his spine and the back of his neck standing up. 

He cleared his throat and shrugged a shoulder, deciding that the ground was definitely the more attractive option of things he could stare at at that moment in time. “Right..” He mumbled, sighing quietly when Luke let go of his hand in favour of opening the door. He ached to reach out and take it again once they were inside, a part of him willing him forward to just grab hold of his hand and never let go, to just hold him close.

That was it. He was going to come clean. 

“Luke, I need to--”

“So, I’m thinking…” Luke pushed open the door to their room and raised an eyebrow, offering Ian a gentle smile, “Oh, I’m sorry, go on?”

“Oh, no, it’s..” Ian shook his head and smiled back. This was his second chance. A chance to not potentially fuck up whatever it was they had going on, “It’s nothing, carry on.” 

Luke nodded and dropped his bag down beside his bed, shrugging off his jacket, “Okay, so, I think it’s time to give this up.” He laughed, scratching the back of his neck, “I mean, it was fun, but it was getting kinda silly, huh? Sorry for pushing you into this.”

Oh. 

Ian felt like he’d been shot. The air was pushed out of his lungs and his head spun. So.. that was it? After all that, they were just going to.. Go back to normal? Pretend none of this ever happened?

“Well, I mean.. I’m not exactly.. Y’know… And it’d be weird to…y’know... right?” Luke motioned vaguely, apparently feeling more awkward than he’d like judging by the way he was shifting from one foot to the other.

“R-Right. Yeah, that’s fine with me.” Ian laughed, swallowing back the fear in his throat, the sickening twisting of his stomach. _Idiot_. _You’re a fucking idiot_. “We look ridiculous together. Besides, even I couldn’t put up with you for that long.” _You’re such a liar_.

Luke seemed relieved and he nodded, “I’m glad to hear it!” He grinned and then snapped his fingers with a huff of disappointment, “Oh, shoot, I left a textbook in my locker. I need to go grab it, I’ll be right back.”

And with that, he left, the door closing with a soft bang as he went. Ian stood motionless in the middle of the room. He didn’t feel sad. He didn’t feel an overwhelming feeling of distraught. He just felt… Numb. A crushing nothingness weighing down on his very soul. He leant back against the wall and bit down on his lip. So that was that. They were done.

Ian shook his head and took a deep breath. No. They weren’t done because they were never anything to start with. But.. In a way, that made things worse. He crumpled, his whole body limply sliding down the wall and he buried his face into his knees, shoulders shaking silent sobs slipped from his throat.

He knew he shouldn’t have agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Prompts are closed at the moment, sorry! But come drop me a message if you'd like? ellieofmidnight.tumblr.com <3


	16. Luke and Ian's Game Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian's a loud and excitable drunk, Luke's just happy to play games with him

“Maybe we should get you some water?” Luke laughed softly as Ian swayed beside him, his blank stare flicking over to stare at him. Maybe it was a bad idea to let him drink so much, especially as they had class the next day. But Ian had insisted, told him that it had been a big enough pain to sneak the alcohol in in the first place and he wasn’t about to let it go to waste.

It wasn’t that Ian was a particularly difficult drunk. He wasn’t violent or emotional or anything like that, he was just… loud. Loud and opinionated, and any filter that he’d had originally was gone. There was definitely a new found energy in him.

“What? No!” Luke raised an eyebrow and glanced back over, watching Ian slump back against the couch, controller lying limp in his hands, “C’mon, man, I’m only just getting started.” His eyes narrowed as he stared across at the screen, watching the dice spin. He was pretty sure he could _see_ Ian’s mind ticking over, trying to figure out the best way to hit it to get the number he wanted. He wouldn’t tell him that it was already predetermined.

They sat in silence for what felt like an eternity before Luke finally threw up his hands, exasperated, “Dude! Just hit the block! We’re gonna be here all night otherwise!”

“Alright! Fine! Jesus, you ruin all the suspense…”

Ian leant forward, staring at the screen, shoulders hunched, apparently studying each pixel, and before Luke could even react, he found himself squashed against the corner of the sofa, Ian’s weight pressed on top of him as he screeched, apparently satisfied with whatever had come up.

“Fuck yes! Fucking _suck it_ , Luke!” Ian’s arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him close enough that he could hear his heartbeat, feel the overly excited rise and fall of his chest, the warmth radiating off of his skin. Luke flushed, his arms hovering awkwardly above his back in an attempt to find somewhere to put them amongst other flailing limbs. He laughed, wrapping them around his waist and tugging him close. It was nice to see Ian so happy, so carefree and relaxed, as if nothing else in the world mattered apart from this stupid game.

Ian pulled back, eyes shining and a stupid, lopsided grin on his face, “You’re my best friend. I love you...” It was strange, Luke had heard it before, although it wasn’t common, but somehow this felt different. More personal, a secret that he had to hold onto until he died.

Luke nodded, a silent confirmation that said everything and yet nothing at all, and Ian smiled, pressing their foreheads together with a soft sigh. They stayed quiet for a few moments, the only noise coming from the TV and the gentle ticking of the clock. It was as if the whole world had come to a standstill, with just the two of them left in the midst of it all. Luke never wanted it to end.

“Oh, and, Luke?”

Luke raised an eyebrow and pulling back a little to see the entirety of Ian’s face, “Hm?” He smiled, reaching up to push a stray piece of hair out of the way.

“I’m sorry you’re so bad at video games…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh so me and Ninizilla on Tumblr spent 6 and a half hours fangirling over their game night stream on the HB website so you should go check it out for all your brutaltown needs!!! Thank you for reading! <3


	17. I Thought You Liked Me (Sequel to Fine With Me)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian hated the way things ended the other night, wished that he could've just refused Luke's offer to prank the rest of the club, but there was no taking it back, he'd just have to face up to it..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING (Kind of): This is super long for oh my god, I'm sorry! It's just under 1,500 words so... If you manage to get through the rambling, then congrats and thank you! <3

It had been hard trying to convince Luke that nothing was wrong, it had been hard trying to convince the club that nothing was wrong, but it was harder to convince himself. It had hurt when Luke walked back into the room after retrieving his book, a little later than he’d anticipated. Apparently he’d run into some girl, gotten talking to her about… well, Ian wasn’t really paying attention. Sure, he was an idiot for thinking that anything could’ve come out of some stupid prank, especially seeing as Luke was, apparently, straight as a board, but… there was no harm in hoping occasionally. Or so he’d thought, he was going to give up on that outlook sooner rather than later, it had hardly worked out for him.

“Hey.” Ian blinked in surprise and glanced over at the source of the voice, fork loosely dangling from his fingers. He wasn’t particularly hungry anymore. It was stupid, but the past couple of days had drained him of everything he’d had and it had taken Luke’s constant mithering to convince him to actually get up that morning and not spend the remainder of his days moping in bed.

“ _Hey_.” 

“What?” Ian muttered, stabbing his fork into the remainder of his food. He couldn’t even look at Luke anymore, not really. He couldn’t bare the sight of his smile, the way his eyes lit up at the mention of the smallest thing that caught his interest, the sickening optimism, the way his heart still leapt into his throat every time he did… well, anything.

Luke frowned, glancing around the dining hall with a small shrug, “Well, I mean, everyone’s already gone, I thought maybe we’d better get going too? Class is gonna start soon, so...”

What? Ian glanced around and his shoulders dropped in surprise; the room was definitely empty, apart from a couple of lingering students and some members of the dining staff. And them. He could feel every inch of his body grow warm, a hot flush of shame creeping down his neck. “Oh. So they have.” He sighed, pushing himself up from the table and carrying his tray over to the disposal. He didn’t feel like small talk. He didn’t feel like any kind of talk. Honestly, he’d rather Luke just left him alone. 

“You go on ahead, I think I’m gonna.. Just..” Ian trailed off and made his way back across campus in the direction of Bluebell house. He just needed to get away, needed to think things through. Maybe he could just transfer schools? He’d managed to make himself disappear before, he could probably do it again. 

He stopped when he felt something tugging at his arm, his wrist caught in a gentle grip. Gentle but firm enough to keep him from pulling away. Damn his stick arms. “What is going on with you at the minute, man?” Ian huffed and shook his head, turning his head to look back over his shoulder at Luke. He looked different to normal; a stern glint in his eyes. “I thought you said you could talk to me.”

“Yeah..” Ian shook his head and offered a small smile, “Not this time. Sorry.” How was he supposed to explain? ‘Oh, yeah, sorry but I’d really rather you said you loved me instead of some bimbo you met in the corridor?’ No. Not about to happen.

“Ian, c’mon..” Luke was persistent, he’d give him that much, frustratingly so, “Obviously there’s something bothering you so just… Tell me?” 

It wasn’t that simple. He couldn’t just come out with something like that. It made him feel sick to even think about. He squirmed, struggling until Luke simply let go. Ian would’ve walked away, turned his back and headed inside but.. Luke looked so hurt, as if he’d just been kicked down to the ground and had sand rubbed in his eyes.

Ian sighed, heart racing in his chest as he shook his head, “It.. It’s nothing, just…” He could feel it, the lump in his throat, the stinging at the backs of his eyes. It was stupid and ridiculous and he wished that none of this had ever happened. “I’m just…” He let out a quiet, slightly bitter laugh and stared up at the sky, “Scared, I guess…”

He didn’t even have to look at Luke to see the confusion on his face, he could sense it in the air, like the smell before rain. He wanted it to end, for him to just shrug it off, laugh, pretend it never happened but… Well, he was never going to get that lucky. 

Ian raised a hand, silencing the question from Luke’s lips before it even left, and he shook his head, “Just.. scared that…” What? What was he scared of? He didn’t even know but he couldn’t stop, despite every muscle in his body telling him to, “That.. I’m just some big.. _joke_ to you. Y’know? That I’m just the guy that you can drag into things because I’m your friend and not care about what happens after. That you don’t really care. But..”

He paused, unable to look Luke in the eye. He knew what he’d see and he didn’t want any of it. He cleared his throat, trying to stop it from cracking under the pressure, curling shaking fingers into a fist, “What scares me the most.. Is the fact that I actually thought you really liked me.” Ian set his jaw, willing the tears back and hoping to God that his voice would stop trembling, “Not because we were putting on an act. Not because you wanted to convince everyone else. But.. I thought you liked me… for real. And then... ”

Ian laughed, shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed, rubbing the back of his wrist against his cheek, “Well, I guess you didn’t, so… That’s just how it is, no big deal.”

The air fell silent, a thick tension hanging between them that Ian was pretty sure he was about to suffocate on if Luke didn’t say anything soon. He looked dumbstruck, a bewilderment that he never even thought was possible on a person. It drove him insane, he couldn’t take the quiet, the constant wondering what the fuck Luke was thinking.

“Well? Say something!” Ian felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, every nerve prickling with some kind of hidden terror, a feeling of constantly being on edge. He couldn’t stand it, he--

And then Luke laughed. A deep, nervous sounding laugh that made Ian bristle with annoyance. Was this a joke to him? He really found all of this funny? He gritted his teeth and swallowed hard, turning on his heel to head back into the dorm building, “Yeah, whatever, Luke.”

“No!” Ian tensed. He didn’t dare to look back, he didn’t want to see Luke laughing at him, didn’t want to see him take this all so lightly. It had killed him to admit any of it, he didn’t need this. “No, Ian, I didn’t.. I didn’t mean that…Um...”

He sighed and turned his head, raising an eyebrow at the steady blush crossing his cheeks, “Then what did you mean?”

Luke paused, suddenly looking more than a little uncomfortable. He moved from one foot to the other, hands twisting around one another as if he was trying to conjure up an answer out of thin air, “Well... Uh…”

Ian folded his arms and his eyes narrowed, tapping his foot as he waited for an answer. He was about to turn back around to head into the building when a hand gently settled on his cheek, warm fingers hovering against his skin. What was he doing..?

“Please.. Look, I..” Luke chewed at the inside of his cheek, “I.. I do care. I really do... But… I don’t know.” He sighed, letting his hand fall down to Ian’s shoulder, “Ah, this is hard… Look, it’s just strange for me, okay?”

“Right.” Ian sighed. He should’ve expected that. He couldn’t have really thought that Luke would change, just for him, that wasn’t fair, it wasn’t exactly something he had a choice over, “Then let’s go. We’ve already missed the beginning of class so--”

Warmth. A gentle, soft warmth pressed up against his lips and Ian couldn’t help but let his eyes slide closed. No. This couldn’t be what he thought it was. Luke had said himself that he wasn’t actually into all this so…

He huffed quietly when Luke pulled away, but he looked away, awkwardly clearing his throat, “Well, that was--”

“I really do like you.”

Oh...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope this sequel made some of you feel a little better?? <3


	18. Perfect Double

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke may be creative when it comes to music, but snow craft is a whole other story.

Ian wasn’t a big fan of snow. Well, truthfully, he wasn’t a big fan of either extreme, but snow was just that touch bit more bothersome. It got in your socks and made you cold and wet, numbing your entire body until you were sure that you didn’t actually have any nerves left. But, hey, Luke had insisted that they go out and enjoy it while it was still around, so he wasn’t going to object.

“You know you didn’t have to put on quite so many layers, right?” Ian raised an eyebrow, watching as Luke carefully constructed what looked to be a snowman, although the head seemed a little lopsided and he was sure the rest of his body was about to collapse at any moment. “It’s really not that cold out.”

He shrugged, rocking back on his heels as the structure slowly began to take a little more shape. Although, what shape that was, he had no idea. “Probably.” Ian raised an eyebrow and leant forward to gently prod the snowman with his finger, smirking when Luke immediately rushed to try and keep it upright, “But I’d rather not take any chances.” He glanced up at the sky, the grey barely visible behind the thick blanket of snow that was coming tumbling down around them, “I’m not exactly aiming to get hypothermia anytime soon.”

Luke scoffed, carefully patting down the disturbed side of the snow mound, “It’s a bit of snow. It’s not going to kill you.” He sat back and sighed, studying his creation with a frown and soft hum. He looked troubled, as if, all of a sudden, he had to make a terrible decision, as if all the world’s troubles sat on his shoulders.

Ian pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth to ask if he was okay. But he quickly stopped himself when a sudden wave of enthusiasm rocked the other like a tidal wave. “I got it.” Luke grinned, leaning forward to carefully scratch a small, grumpy looking frown into the snowman’s face, and it was at that moment that Ian was certain he was being taken advantage of.

“Is.. that supposed to be me?” Ian pouted, watching Luke hum to himself as he wrapped his scarf around the podgy neck of the ice sculpture, “Wow. I’m glad you think so highly of me.” He wasn’t sure, but he had a strong feeling that if the thing could beg for the sweet embrace of death, it probably would. 

Luke didn’t look impressed. “What? Yeah, of course.” He quirked an eyebrow and studied his work, “Do you think it needs more angst? Does it have too much emotion for your liking?”

Ian flushed and turned his head, staring down at the ground, “No… It’s fine.” He muttered, shoulders relaxing when he felt warmth spread through his body, soft lips up against his cheek, an arm snaking around his waist. The cold almost instantly forgotten.

“Good. I was worried I’d have to replace you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I'm sorry I haven't put one of these out for a while, but I've had so many things on the go at once that this kind of got pushed to the back! I hope you enjoyed though! <3


	19. The Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Set either at the start of their 3rd year or during 2nd year) He has to tell them at some point. As much as he hates it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I wrote one of these, huh? This one... I got a bit carried away with so it's a very long drabble! So, either sorry or you're welcome, take your pick! <3

Ian wasn’t ashamed or embarrassed. He was _nervous_ and, when he thought about it, that was just as terrifying. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t known before now that he was… different, he’d known for a while. He’d never really gotten into the conversations with other boys about girls, he didn’t get what all the fuss was about, they were just people but… with boobs, what was the big deal? But to outwardly announce that he was gay? It was something that played on his mind ever since he realised all those years ago. Especially since he’d joined Hidden Block.

The stars looked even brighter that night as he stood out on the field, the cool night breeze rustling the blades of grass by his feet and his mind racing a million miles an hour. It was simple enough in theory, he’d just… tell them. It wouldn’t be so hard. But… He sighed and stared down at his shoes, hands shoved deep in his pockets; things were never that simple, if they were, people wouldn’t have such a hard time doing things like this.

Ian shivered and turned to look back over his shoulder, scanning the windows of Bluebell House in the distance, squinting through the darkness to try and make out which one was his. Luke would still be asleep and he debated going back to join him, but there was no way he’d be able to sleep, he had too many things running around in his brain. 

But he needed to get it out there.

He set his jaw and pulled out his phone, flinching at the bright light that hit him in the face. Ian flexed his fingers, attempting to get the trembling to subside, and hovered over the string of messages before quickly typing out a message before he could convince himself otherwise.

_Ian [2:04 a.m.]: Meet me on the field._

He nodded to himself and anxiously tapped his phone, glancing around the field as he waited. Maybe he was a little too blunt? If he was going to get Luke to come out and talk with him, it was possible he’d have to be a little nicer.

_Ian [2:07 a.m.]: Please._

That would do, right? He could just talk to Luke, smooth things over, everything would be fine. ...Maybe. Ian swallowed hard as his heart hammered against his chest; how was he going to react? Would he be freaked out? Would he avoid him..? What if he ended up losing this friendship too? Normally he wouldn’t mind, it wasn’t like he’d had many friends before, but Luke...

Ian was starting think the whole thing was a bad idea when he felt the familiar vibration in his hand, the sight of Luke’s name lighting up his screen making his heart flip. 

_Luke [2:07 a.m.]: Is that where you’ve gotten to?! Dude, I was worried when I realised you were gone!_

_Luke [2:08 a.m.]: Is everything okay? Do you realise what time it is?_

_Ian [2:08 a.m.]: I’m fine. I just need to talk to you. About something kinda important._

_Luke [2:09 a.m.]: Sure, of course, I’ll be right there!_

Good. This was good. Ian juggled his phone, carefully tossing it from one to the other as he paced around the field, Luke would be here soon and he’d just… tell him. That was all he had to do. ‘Hey, I’m gay’, ‘Hey, I like dudes’, ‘Hey, I wanna fu--’

“Hey.” Ian’s breath caught in his throat and he span around, phone falling from his hands to the grass with a quiet _thump_. “Oh, whoops, sorry!” Luke’s gentle laughter bubbled from his throat like a spring and Ian felt the heat rise to his cheeks as he knelt down to grab his phone.

“N-No big deal.” He shrugged, running his hand over the grass in the darkness and immediately pulling it back when he felt something warm and finger-like brush against his own. Ian’s head swam as he tried to find the right words, an apology, an explanation, _anything_ to make this less crushingly awkward than it already was.

“Woah, hey.” Luke’s voice was soft and gentle in the night air, cutting through his thoughts as if it was a knife. Except made of cotton wool and friendship. “Is everything okay?” Ian pulled himself up from the floor, a small nod the only thing that he could manage to respond with. Idiot. “So… what was it you needed to talk to me about?”

This was it. The moment of truth. Ian stared down at the floor, hands back into his pockets, where they were safe. If he could hide away at least one part of his body, he was going to take that opportunity. “I-I.. Um… Yep…” He couldn’t do it. There were too many things that could go wrong, too many endless possibilities of how he could mess everything up. He’d just started getting things back on track.

But then he felt those same warm hands settle on his shoulders, Luke’s gaze staring him down and Ian felt everything melt away, a strange ease washing over him in a calming wave. “Just breathe.” He smiled, “Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. Unless you’ve murdered a guy, in which case we should probably go get that taken care of.”

Ian couldn’t help but huff a quiet laugh, his shoulders slumping, “Yeah…” He murmured. It would be best to just get it over with, no point putting it off any longer. “Look, I just… I gotta tell you something. A-And you have to promise not to freak out o-or anything…” Why was he so nervous? He hadn’t been this nervous the other times he’d told people, so why now? What was it about Luke?

“I…” He couldn’t meet his gaze. He couldn’t do it. “I’m gay.”

Ian braced himself for the surprise or the snide remarks or anything that wasn’t the reaction he got. Strong arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him close, the steady heartbeat helping his own to keep a little more normal. They didn’t speak after that, simply walked back to their dorm room in a comfortable silence. It was nice. It was just what he had hoped for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


	20. Costume Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke just wants to dress up for Halloween, what's the big deal?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, huh?? I'm on a mini-break from writing but I realised it's been a while since I've written my idiot children so!!

“I’m not wearing that.” Luke looked down at the costume in his hands and then back up at Ian, a long finger pointed at the loosely dangling fabric, “I’d look ridiculous. _We’d_ look ridiculous.” He wasn’t sure that Ian had quite grasped the idea of Halloween, that or it just wasn’t in him to be excited about anything. 

“But.. We’re going trick-or-treating.” Luke raised an eyebrow and grinned, wafting the material in front of his face, “We’ve gotta go in a couple’s costume! It’s, like, the law.” 

“Then it’s a stupid law.” The corners of Ian’s lips quirked up for a split second before settling back into their usual frown, “Look, can’t we just do what we did last year? I think I still have the sheet…” It was Luke’s turn to frown and he took a few steps forward, shoving the costume into Ian’s arms, grinning when he stumbled back in surprise.

“No.” He smiled, gently prodding his finger against Ian’s chest and nudging the beak of his hat against his forehead, “It’s just for one night, what’s the worst that could happen?” He murmured, watching as the small creases between Ian’s eyebrows slowly fell, a soft sigh of defeat slipping from his lips, “C’mon, Ian, live a little!”

There was a pause, a shift in tension, a change in the atmosphere, and Luke wondered whether he’d said something wrong, whether maybe pushing Ian into something that he obviously wasn’t all that comfortable with was a good thing after all. He cleared his throat, taking a step back and awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, “But, uh… y’know, if you really don’t wanna do it then… I guess we can just go as gh--”

Luke cut himself off when he was interrupted by a quiet huff of amusement, a small roll of Ian’s eyes as he played with the costume, “Shut up.” He smirked, sighing and pushing a hand through his hair, “Look, I’ll dress up in your.. Stupid outfit if it’ll make you happy. But I’m letting everyone know that this was your idea.”

“Obviously.” Luke couldn’t help but feel relief wash over him, the worry that had dug its claws into the back of his mind slowly easing off. He watched skeptically as Ian crossed the room, swapping the outfit in his arms for the one lying on Luke’s bunk.

“But I’m being Fred. I think Daphne’s ginger’ll suit you better. Plus, you’d look good in a dress.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


	21. Let it Glow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate AU Prompt: the one where you and your soulmate have matching marks and the marks glow when you’re near your soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I've had a huge writer's block for.. a while now so I'm sorry this hasn't been updated! But it's Christmas break, I have a couple weeks to try and get over that!! Hope you enjoy! <3

Ian wasn’t quite sure how Luke managed to do it. He seemed so confident, so ready to show off. There was a part of him that assumed he was just cocky, a display of ‘hey, look, I’ve found my soulmate while you losers are still searching’, but.. the more he watched Luke out of the corner of his eye, the gentle pulsing of blue-green surrounding his peripheral vision, the more he realised that maybe that wasn’t the case. 

Ian had tried to hide his markings for a while, especially around the rest of the club. The glow was too bright, too attention grabbing, he really didn’t need quite so many people knowing about his new formed attachment. There were some things he’d quite like to keep personal.

..Granted, those ‘things’ encompassed more things than not, but that was beside the point. 

Honestly, the first time he noticed it, it had scared him. It was _blinding_ and it definitely wasn’t supposed to happen that soon. It should’ve waited at least a few more years, maybe while he was in his early-mid twenties?   
He’d pulled his sleeves down whenever he was around Luke, which seemed to be most of the time now that he thought about it, hoping to block out the sigils that spread down his arm. It never did much good. The glow radiated through the yellow, his arm suddenly looking as if it was on fire; his own personal sun.  
Luke had laughed and thrown his arm around Ian’s neck, pressing a kiss to the side of his head while Ian squirmed in his hold, squinting in the collision of lights. He’d teased him, announcing that his soulmate was “adorable when he blushed” and that “he was lucky to have someone so cute”. 

For a start, Ian didn’t _blush_.

Nighttime and the early evening were when things got the most uncomfortable, though. The two of them shone like beacons on their way home from class. Or from a movie they’d gone to see (where they’d also been the main goddamn attraction; damn the dark confines of the theatre). They were like a couple of fireflies, all luminescence and radiation. The stars in the sky seemed to lose their impact and not even the biggest full moon seemed to be able to retrieve it while their own light source guided them back to the dorms.   
Luke lapped up the stares and the comments, taking it all in his stride and high-fiving the odd person that seemed far more excited about this whole soulmate thing than Ian did.

When he looked over at Luke this time, however, his sleeves pushed up to his elbows and the intricate detailing across his skin emitting its gentle light, Ian smiled, resting his chin in his palm and leaning forward over his desk. He seemed calm, his usual display of composure mixed with excitement. A strange combination, sure, but it was one that Luke managed to pull off with ease. But.. today there was something else. As his soulmate turned his head, the brim of his hat coming dangerously close to cutting across Ian’s forehead, he caught sight of a familiar glint in his gaze. One he’d been unable to truly decipher before now. A spark that flooded through into his speech, his body language, the way he held himself.

Pride. 

He was proud. Of him, of Ian, of them.

And, honestly? So was Ian.


End file.
